


Quarters

by kiwi_stan



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Frat Boy Harry, Frat Boy Harry Styles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 18:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18722494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwi_stan/pseuds/kiwi_stan
Summary: Playing drinking games at college parties is always fun





	1. Part 1

“Remind me again why we’re going to this party.” You said to your roommate at the two of you trampled across campus. It was just after dusk on a Saturday night, and though you would usually be holed up studying at this point, she’d dragged you out to go to some frat party.

“I told you. Delicious Daniel from my bio class is gonna be there. And I need my bestie with me for moral support.”

You rolled your eyes. You’d heard her on the phone with at least five other people before she invited you. Before you could shoot back a snarky response, you became aware of some loud pop music with a heavy bassline coming from nearby. Your roommate strode confidently toward the source, the brick building that housed your university’s wildest fraternity. You lagged behind slightly, watching her perfectly coiffed hair bounce as if she were in a shampoo commercial as she sashayed around in the high heels that made her legs look a mile long. You felt like a baby deer trying to walk on ice in the similar shoes she’d forced on you.

She finally stopped just in front of the steps that lead to the door and turned to you. “Do I look okay?”

“Perfect.”

“Great.” With that, she grabbed your wrist and dragged you into the house. Inside the music was almost deafening, the air clouded with some type of smoke, the room smelling of alcohol and sweat. It was as packed as a New York subway, and you had to fight to get through the crowd in your attempts to stay close to your roommate. You stayed glued to her side until she spotted Delicious Daniel and ditched you to flirt with him.

You sighed, flexing your toes in your uncomfortable shoes. You debated just bailing and heading back to your room, but you knew your roommate would probably wind up drinking too much and would need an escort back. Sighing again, you headed off in search of an isolated corner of the house where you could hopefully find some peace and quiet and maybe somewhere to sit down.

You tried to look confident as you walked, which was hard in the heels your roommate had forced on you. No sooner had you spotted an unoccupied couch in the corner of the room and made up your mind to sit down for a little bit, when you tripped over your own feet and fell to the floor.

A lifetime of being forced to play sports in P.E. even though you were the least coordinated person ever had trained you to recover well from falls, but a ringed hand reached out to help you up before you could spring back to your feet on your own.

“Thanks,” You said, standing up. “Oh, hi Harry.” You added, recognizing the green-eyed kind soul who had helped you up.

“Y/N?” He asked after a pause that had you worrying he didn’t recognize you. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you not bored out of your mind during one of Professor Duncan’s lectures. Are you alright?”

“Fine.” You said quickly, trying to cover your embarrassment. Of all the people you had to wipe out in front of, it had to be the cute guy from your Shakespeare class. Harry usually sat in the back and typically kept quiet, but you’d noticed his green eyes and chocolate curls the very first day. When he did contribute to class discussion it was always something insightful and well thought out, which only made your slight crush on him deepen.

“I haven’t seen you here before.”

“Oh, my roommate just dragged me along because she wants to flirt with this guy who she knew was gonna be here.” You said. Under different circumstances you might have come up with a lie that made you sound like less of a square but you were slightly distracted by how well his plain black T-shirt fit over his broad shoulders. “This doesn’t really seem like your scene either.”

Harry shot you an amused look. “I’m actually a member here.”

You felt your cheeks growing hot. “I never would have guessed.” Who knew quiet, smart Harry was a member of the craziest fraternity on campus?

“Styles!” Another guy called Harry over from where a group appeared to be playing a drinking game.

Harry started for the group, turning around when he realized that you weren’t following him. “Are you coming?”

You weighed your options. Hanging out with one of the most attractive guys you’d ever laid eyes on, or sitting alone on a couch all night looking like a loser. You followed dutifully behind Harry. “Do you know how to play quarters?” He asked over his shoulder. You shook your head. “It’s easy. I’ll teach you.”

He pressed a quarter into your hand, your heart rate picking up as your palms touched.“See the glass on the table?” You nodded. Harry positioned himself behind you, his arms wrapping around you. One of his hands curled around the wrist of the hand holding the quarter, the other settling on your waist to hold you steady. All you could focus on was just how close you and Harry were, and how good he smelled. “All you have to do is bounce the quarter off the table so it lands in the glass.” His lips were inches from your ear, you could feel his breath on your skin. All you would have to do it turn your head a little bit and the two of you would be kissing. Harry guided your hand so the quarter bounced off the table at the perfect angle and landed in the glass. “Good job, babe.”

Though hearing the word babe from Harry sent shivers up your spine, you forced yourself to rein in your excitement a little bit. Harry was obviously a pro at drinking games and you found yourself wondering if he’d used these same moves on girls before. The group that had been gathered around the table had dispersed when Harry approached with you and was returning as the romantic moment passed, as if on cue, like they’d seen this happen before. Still, Harry stayed behind you like that for the entire game and you found that you were comfortable with his arms around you. Of course, the fact that you got picked to drink a few times and could feel yourself naturally loosening up helped.

The game ended and the group slowly drifted apart, but Harry stayed glued to your side. Not that you were complaining. You were perfectly happy, excited even, as he took your hand and pulled you toward the couch you’d been eyeing earlier. You sat down side-by-side, thighs, hips and shoulders touching. He had cupped your cheek with one hand, keeping your gaze directly on him. “I’ve always thought you were so beautiful.”

He was drunk. You could smell the Jack Daniels on his breath. This was something he would never say sober. Yet, as you looked into his eyes, his gaze was steady and lucid and you realized that he was being 100 percent serious. He was pulling you a little closer to him, closer and closer until you were kissing.

You didn’t have a ton of experience kissing, but you knew a good kisser when you felt one. Harry knew exactly how to move his lips and how to rest his hand on the back of your neck to drive you insane. He deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping inside your mouth. Your fingers tangled in his dark brown curls. You became aware of his other hand slipping down your back, coming dangerously close to your ass, which snapped you out of the dream-like state you’d been in since Harry had started kissing you. You pulled back.

“What’s the matter love?” He asked, pulling you a little closer to him.

“Harry-” You began. You didn’t even know where to start. With the fact that you were a virgin and didn’t even know how to have sex, much less how to execute a one-night stand? That making out with guys you barely knew wasn’t really your thing, no matter how soft their hair was or how smart he seemed? That kissing him had been the highlight of your week and maybe your month but you were already worrying that it was a mistake? That you had feelings for him beyond a hook-up, since it appeared that was all this was going to be? “This really isn’t-”

“There you are!” Bangles jangled next to your ear as someone threw their arm around you, giving you a mini-heart attack. You relaxed a little bit when you whipped around to see that it was just your heavily intoxicated roommate. Still, you were furious that she had interrupted you when you were about to have a serious conversation with Harry. “We have to leave,” she went on “Deeeeelicious Daniel is making out with some other girl and I don’t wanna watch and I lost my key.”

You sighed. Knowing your roommate, she probably hadn’t even brought her key. She was notorious for forgetting it, especially if you were going out together and you could be counted on to be the responsible one.

Harry squeezed your knee, making you look up. “We’ll talk later. Promise.” He said as quietly as he could over the blaring music. Before you could do anything other than nod, he was up and walking away.

You helped your roommate to her feet. “Let’s go.” You said, Harry’s kiss still on your lips and worry about what would happen when you saw him next clouding your mind.

The next morning, you set out in search of Gatorade and a light breakfast for your very hungover roommate. By the time you got back to the room, she was awake and complaining. “Not so loud!” She insisted as you closed the door behind you.

“Sorry.” You whispered, offering her the toast and drink as a peace offering and tugging the drapes closed.

After she’d had a few hours to recover, she was back to her chatty, gossipy self. “Did you see the girl Daniel was with? Do you know her?”

“I didn’t even see him, so no.”

“Oh, was that Harry Styles you were with last night?”

You felt your heart pick up speed at the mention of Harry, remembering how his green eyes had been fixed on you, his big hands on your back, and finally how you’d run away from him at the end of the night. “Um, yeah. I know him from English class.” You were careful not to give out too much information. Your roommate was a notorious gossip, and the news of you and Harry would be all over campus in a matter of hours if she knew he’d been flirting.

Her eyes widened. “Oh! Well, just be careful. I’ve heard he’s a total player. He’ll play drinking games with a girl, teach her if she doesn’t know how all romantic and stuff, then hook up with her and then act like she doesn’t exist. I hear quarters is his preferred method.”


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of drinking games at college parties is fun

After your roommate’s bombshell, you found yourself a little on edge. You and Harry hadn’t even had time to exchange numbers the previous night, a fact that at first you’d been upset about but now you found yourself grateful for. At least you didn’t have to worry about having an awkward text conversation detailing your feelings. In a moment of the highest panic, you worried that he could find your student e-mail on the directory and contact you that way, but figured he wouldn’t go to all that trouble just for a hook-up, which it appeared was all you were to be. You had no interest in being another notch in his bedpost. But, you couldn’t get the sincere look in his eyes as he told you that you were beautiful out of your mind. Maybe, just maybe he wanted you to be something more, but anytime you caught yourself thinking that way, you stopped and reminded yourself of what your roommate had said.

When your Shakespeare class rolled around on Tuesday, you debated skipping. Only the fact that you’d be reviewing for an upcoming exam stopped you. You showed up to class a little late, wanting to avoid any possible awkward pre-class interactions with Harry. But it turned out that you were worried for nothing, because he didn’t even show up. On one hand, you were happy that you were able to avoid the awkward “what are we” conversation, but on the other, it gave you another day to agonize over whether or not Harry was actually interested or if you were just another conquest to him.

On Thursday, when you were making your way up the stairs to class, you heard footsteps behind you, followed by a call of your name. When you whirled around, you saw Harry rushing up the stairs to catch up with you. You stopped. You knew you should talk to him. He’d promised that you would talk later, but part of you just wanted to avoid him and pretend that the frat party had never happened, afraid of what he would say when you finally talked.

You hesitated few seconds too long and the next thing you knew Harry was standing right next to you. “Y/N, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” He began. Another student brushed by you and Harry on her way to class, shooting a dirty look in your direction for blocking the stairway.

“Not here,” You insisted. As terrifying as the idea of being alone with Harry was, the idea of getting dumped publicly was scarier.

Harry took your wrist and led you up to the next floor and tugged you into an empty classroom. You absently wondered how Harry knew which ones would be empty his time of day. He always showed up to your Shakespeare class, but you wouldn’t put it past him to have ditched for a random hook up in the English building. Maybe he and his brothers made some sort of game out of it, who could hook up in the weirdest place. You pushed those thoughts away. You’d never really paid much attention to campus gossip, but since finding out you’d been hanging out with Harry your roommate had amped up the chatter on him and his fraternity. It didn’t really sound like the type of thing you’d want to get mixed up in: wild parties, never studying and rarely going to class but managing to make decent grades since most of them were athletes, girls coming and leaving the frat house in droves, all of them drop-dead gorgeous with model-esque figures.

Still, despite all of the hearsay about Harry and his fraternity, a little part of you hoped that he was different. You’d always thought that he was pretty smart and he was diligent about attending class, certainly not the type to cruise by on his looks and cheating on tests. He seemed nice enough, and despite the player rumors and the endless list of girls your roommate had rattled off who had allegedly slept with Harry, you didn’t really get that vibe from him. And you certainly didn’t fit the mold of the stunning girls that he usually went for.

“So what did you want to talk about?” You asked as the door clicked shut behind you, leaving you alone with Harry. You tried not to think about how this was an excellent opportunity for less wholesome activities.

Harry perched himself on top on one of the desks, suddenly seeming nervous. “Um so on Saturday I was a little drunk,”” He began. He was having trouble making eye contact and you realized that you’d never seen him this nervous. He was quiet and hesitant to share his thoughts in class, but when he spoke it was with total confidence and he always entered the room as if he owned the place. Even when he came in late and most people would enter as quietly as possible and slip into the first available seat, Harry always held his head high and took his sweet time making his way to his usual seat, not even wavering when the professor gave him a dirty look. Did you really have that effect on him? Had you rattled the seemingly unflappable Harry Styles? “And we kissed. But I wanted to tell you that we didn’t kiss because I was drunk. I mean, that was what finally gave me the nerve to do it. But, I’d sort of been thinking about it for a while, it wasn’t just something drunk-me decided. I mean,” He stopped, took a deep breath. “I guess I’ve liked you for a little while? I mean, I know I’ve liked you for a little while.” He finished.

You weren’t sure if you should feel relief that his feelings had been genuine and he hadn’t meant for you to be a hook-up, or fear at what admitting that you reciprocated his feelings would bring. Being forced to tag along to his parties, maybe even some kind of weird girlfriend hazing thing? You took a deep breath. He’d been open with his feelings, and you at least owed it to him to do the same. “I’ve liked you for a little while too. I mean, I didn’t know you super well but I thought you were cute and smart. I never thought you would give me the time of day though. So, when we kissed on Saturday I…I was enjoying it. But things started moving kinda fast and um hook-ups aren’t really my style,” Because I’ve never even had sex you added silently. “So I didn’t know if things were going that way. But then my roommate interrupted so…” You let the sentence dangle, not really sure if there was anything else to say.

“You thought I just wanted to hook up with you?” Harry asked.

You were silent, trying to figure out the nicest way possible to tell him that you’d heard he got around. “I mean, there’s always the frat boy stereotype,” You said finally. “And I’d never been to a party like that before so I didn’t really know exactly what to expect.”

Harry’s expression softened a little bit. “You’ve heard things.” You hesitated, before deciding that honesty was the best policy and nodding. “Y/N, I want you to forget everything you’ve heard about me,” Harry pushed himself to his feet as he spoke, approaching and and taking your hand in his. You let him. “I joined a fraternity because my dad was in one and it was the highlight of his life. He pushed me into it, even though I plan on not peaking in college and saving that for my mid-thirties.” You laughed a little bit, both at Harry’s humor and in relief that he hadn’t joined the frat for the girls and the parties. “The parties can be kind of fun sometimes, but the things with the girls, the waking up so hungover you can’t move, that’s really not my thing. The other guys start rumors and spread them because they want it to look like everyone parties all the time at our house. Having a stick in the mud for a member doesn’t really gel with that image.”

You looked up into Harry’s eyes, finding nothing but sincerity there, sincerity you hadn’t seen since he’d told you that you were beautiful at the party. “Oh.” You said simply, knowing that he was expecting some kind of response but needing a moment to gather your thoughts. “I guess I shouldn’t have believed everything my roommate said. I’m sorry.”

Harry shrugged as if to say it was no big deal. “How about you let me take you on a date and let me show you the real me?” He said with a little smile playing on his lips.

“I’d like that.” You told him. The sentence had barely left you lips before he was kissing you again.


End file.
